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"Heads, not tails" : how best to engage theater ballistic missiles /

Defending against theater and intercontinental ballistic missiles, potentially carrying nuclear, biological or chemical weapons, requires 100% effectiveness anything less continues to afford our enemies weapons of mass effect. If the U.S. is to be successful in answering this threat, a re-evaluation...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Wiegand, Ronald C.
Corporate Author: Air University (U.S.). Center for Strategy and Technology
Format: Government Document Book
Language:English
Published: Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. : Center for Strategy and Technology, Air University, [2006]
Series:Occasional paper (Air University (U.S.). Center for Strategy and Technology) ; no. 53.
Subjects:
Ballistic missile defenses > United States.
Antimissile Defense Systems.
Guided Missiles.
Theater level operations.
Ballistic missile intercept systems.
Intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Weapons.
Guided missiles.
Boost phase.
Tail assemblies.
Sound.
Enemy.
Directional.
Chemical ordnance.
Kinetics.
Biological warfare.
Interception.
Threats.
Defense systems.
Department of defense.
Online Access:https://purl.fdlp.gov/GPO/LPS102696
Description
Summary:Defending against theater and intercontinental ballistic missiles, potentially carrying nuclear, biological or chemical weapons, requires 100% effectiveness anything less continues to afford our enemies weapons of mass effect. If the U.S. is to be successful in answering this threat, a re-evaluation of boost phase intercept (BPI) options is in order. This paper highlights the ballistic missile threat and joint defense systems; provides an assessment of those systems; re-evaluates BPI merits; and proposes a kinetic boost phase solution (with concept of operations) to bridge the potential fielding of space-base weapons. Early engagement provides better, faster, cheaper and less destabilizing missile defense capability. Heads, not tails sounds a call to the Missile Defense Agency, Strategic Command and all Services to commit to producing BPI capability (first kinetic, then directed energy), ahead of other systems and upgrades.
Item Description:Title from title screen (viewed on Sept. 22, 2008).
"February 2006."
Electronic resource.
Physical Description:vi, 65 pages : digital, PDF file.
Format:Mode of access: Internet from the Air University web site. Address as of 9/22/08: http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/cst/csat53.pdf ; current access available via PURL.
Access:APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE.